François Boucher | The Four Seasons

Source: The Frick Collection, New York

The son of a painter, François Boucher (1703-1770) was born in Paris and trained first with his father, then briefly with François Lemoine.

In 1723 he won the Academy’s first prize for painting but was denied the sojourn in Rome that normally resulted from the competition.

To earn his living the young artist produced reproductive engravings throughout the 1720s, notably after drawings and paintings by Watteau.

François Boucher - The Four Seasons, Autumn, 1755

Rembrandt | Self-Portrait, 1658

Of the many self-portraits Rembrandt painted over a lifetime, this is perhaps the greatest, not only for its poignant revelations of the self, but for his sure handling of paint.

The initial effect on viewers is daunting, as though they are confronting an ill-tempered monarch.

The strange costume he wears is timeless.

In place of a crown, he wears a large velvet artist's beret.

Rembrandt | Self-Portrait, 1658 | Frick Collection, New York